Over the past few years, there has been an increase in libraries recruiting positions such as DEI Librarian, Librarian for Inclusion, and Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Organizational Excellence. The positions are often vague about the job responsibilities but specific about the expectations of promoting EDI- whether in collections, staff, or culture. This article explores this DEI work through an interview with Ione Damasco, the Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, Engagement, and Operations at the University of Dayton

Bortruex, Dom M

English

Yale University

Yale University EliScholar – A Digital Platform for Scholarly Publishing at Yale Library Staff Publications Yale University Library Summer 7-2022 An Insider’s Framework of Inclusive Excellence Dom M. Bortruex Yale University, dom.bortruex@yale.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/yul_staff  Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Bortruex, Dom M., "An Insider’s Framework of Inclusive Excellence" (2022). Library Staff Publications. 18. https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/yul_staff/18 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Yale University Library at EliScholar – A Digital Platform for Scholarly Publishing at Yale. It has been accepted for inclusion in Library Staff Publications by an authorized administrator of EliScholar – A Digital Platform for Scholarly Publishing at Yale. For more information, please contact elischolar@yale.edu. JULY/AUGUST 2022 | INFORMATION TODAY | 19or a ball to bounce or balance on. Pionke and his team at UIUC termed these spaces “reflection rooms.”In conjunction with reflection rooms, the team developed “tranquility kits” that can be checked out for a month at a time to students so that they can try different self-regulation devices. The kits include noise-canceling headphones, various fidg-et toys, stress balls, all-spectrum therapy lights, and exercise bands with instruc-tions for use. As a result of surveys, UIUC installed Alexa devices in the rooms so that patrons can control the brightness and color of the lights along with using meditation apps and soothing sounds.HOW TO GET STARTEDThe most important thing going for-ward is that library professionals educate themselves about this topic and work to make their spaces, education, online plat-forms, marketing, and services more ac-cessible to people with disabilities of all types. “The reality is that if we embrace accessibility, we make it better for every-one. And you do this one bite at a time,” says Pionke. If you are a large library or organization, you can partner with a company such as EBSCO Information Services or a consortium network such as the Library Accessibility Alliance that has the ability to work for contracts of participation that require accessibility. If you are a small library or organization, you can start by making your website design inclusive and accessible, redesign-ing your furniture types or placement, or making your signage easier to read by changing fonts or letter size. Pionke suggests, “Pick one thing, work to make it better, and then move on to another.” O ver the past few years, there has been an increase in libraries re-cruiting positions such as EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) librar-ian, librarian for inclusion, and director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and orga-nizational excellence. The positions are often vague about the job responsibili-ties but specific about the expectations of promoting EDI—whether in collec-tions, hiring, or culture. To understand the responsibilities of these librarians, I contacted Ione Damasco (who uses they/them pronouns) to discuss their role as associate dean for inclusive excellence, engagement, and operations at the Uni-versity of Dayton.OPPORTUNITIESDamasco has gathered immense di-verse experience in academic libraries. They shifted from a cataloging background in technical services to their current role due to their passion, identities, and growing experience with EDI in librar-ies. During a time of change in the li-brary, Damasco saw an opportunity to support EDI beyond volunteering on di-versity committees. They talked to their dean about evolving the position of asso-ciate dean of collections and operations to include EDI as a framework for the position rather than an extra opportuni-ty or trend. This proposed change came at a time of reorganization and right before the launch of a diversity strate-gic plan. Taking advantage of this op-portunity for change, Damasco became An Insider’s Framework of Inclusive ExcellenceDOM BORTRUEXMarci Wicker is a public services law librarian at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. She is a trained J.D., a practiced R.N., and a Toyota Kata master with interests in risk management; equity, diversity, and inclusion; and compliance. Send your comments about this article to itletters@infotoday.com or tweet us (@ITINewsBreaks).LINKS TO THE SOURCESCDC: Disability Impacts All of Us cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.htmlLibrary Journal: JJ Pionke | Movers and Shakers 2020—Advocateslibraryjournal.com/story/j j-pionke-movers- shakers-2020%E2%80%93advocatesPionke, JJ. “Toward Holistic Accessibility Narratives  from Functionally Diverse Patrons.” Reference and  User Services Quarterly, vol. 57, no.1, 2017, pp. 48–56 journals.ala.org/index.php/rusq/article/view/6442Holer, Sara, and Lannon, Amber. “The Development of Multiuse  Meditation Rooms.” Student Wellness & Academic Libraries:  Case Studies and Activities for Promoting Health and Success,  Association of College and Research Libraries, 2020, pp. 151–168alastore.ala.org/content/student-wellness-and-academic-libraries- case-studies-and-activities-promoting-health-and20 | INFORMATION TODAY | JULY/AUGUST 2022associate dean for inclusive excellence, engagement, and operations.Combining library outreach and en-gagement, operations, and strategic plan-ning, Damasco’s role empowers them to pursue EDI initiatives and challenge deeply embedded, problematic processes throughout the library. A key part of Damasco’s work is developing, guiding, and tracking the implementation of the diversity plan and ensuring that it is measurable and achievable. As chair-person of the Diversity and Inclusion Team, Damasco supports the diversity plan and provides professional develop-ment and EDI-related activities such as film screenings and guest speakers. The team has expanded through developing external partnerships and practicing an inclusionary framework of excellence. This framework of excellence and inclusion is fundamental to Damasco’s work. Constantly, Damasco asks, “What are we doing to include people and make sure they belong as an active part of the community?” This question guides all as-pects of Damasco’s work, and it is evident in the library’s collection development policies. For example, there is a collec-tion budget to allocate designated funds to purchase EDI materials and support EDI partners such as the Multicultural Center and book clubs. Damasco practices active collecting through exploring how courses meet EDI and Common Academic Program (CAP) requirements, particu-larly the diversity and social justice com-ponent. They work with librarians and instructors to purchase related materials for this interdisciplinary approach.Inclusive excellence does not end at collection development. Damasco supports the library in ensuring metadata and bibliographic descriptions are inclusive and current. Their approach is, “Do it thoughtfully, and do it well. Be mindful, and prioritize people’s well- being.” This in cludes us-ing alternative terms and vocabularies, intention-ally choos ing descriptive language, and partnering with IT to reconfigure displays of problematic terms. Through evaluating metadata, the library can identify collection gaps related to content creators and subjects.CHALLENGESDespite victories in developing and im-plementing strategic plans and EDI ini-tiatives, Damasco has faced obstacles and stress. Time and resources remain a top challenge. Reflecting on the challenges of the job, Damasco states, “There’s never enough people, time, or money. There is no endgame. Inclusive excellence is a con-stant process of learning and growing.” There are al so ongoing challenges and conversations about deeply embedded problematic processes and histories and their long-term impact. Damasco claims, “To be partners in how society moves for-ward, we must ask hard questions which haven’t been asked, and inspire people to rethink exclusion and inclusion.”ADVICEDamasco says, “You can’t be excellent without being inclusive. Inclusion should be an expectation, not an invitation.” The ongoing work of inclusion becomes more successful when it is supported with de-cision-making power and accountability. Damasco emphasizes the importance of connecting EDI initiatives to the insti-tution’s values and strategic plan. They advise, “If a library is thinking about EDI positions, it needs to empower the position with clear support structures.” They recommend being realistic about expectations without losing sight of the mission. With so many challenges, it is vital to identify a focus, implement the framework of excellence, and maintain a sense of excitement.Every institution faces its own chal-lenges, particularly related to EDI. Dam-asco’s call for excellence and inclusion is an encouraging reminder to librarians that they can support the university and be partners in moving society forward.Photo by Ryan O’GradyIone DamascoDom Bortruex is the manager of the Monographic FastCat Unit at Yale University. He leads workshops on cataloging, metadata, and automation. Bortruex participates in DiversAbility at Yale, the LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, and ALA. Send your comments about this article to itletters@infotoday.com or tweet us (@ITINewsBreaks).During a time of change in the  library, Damasco  saw an opportunity  to support EDI. …‘You can’t be excellent without being inclusive. Inclusion should  be an expectation,  not an invitation.’

An Insider’s Framework of Inclusive Excellence

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An Insider’s Framework of Inclusive Excellence

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